Return to play testing following anterior cruciate reconstruction - A systematic review & meta-analysis

The purpose of this study is to systematically review the evidence regarding return to sport evaluation following ACL reconstruction and evaluate the relationship between testing and secondary ACL injury.

A systematic review of the literature with PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, Cochrane Reviews, was performed on June, 2020 based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies were included if they compared outcomes following passing and failing RTP testing subsequent to ACLR. Clinical outcomes were compared, with all statistical analysis performed using Review Manager Version 5.3. Correlation was calculated with Spearman testing.

Overall, 8 studies with 1224 patients were included in the analysis. Overall, 34.3% (420/1224) patients passed the RTP testing. Those who passed the RTP testing had a statistically significant 47% lower rate of ACL graft re-rupture compared to those who did not pass the RTP testing (p = 0.03). However, there was a slightly higher, albeit not statistically significant, rate of contralateral ACL rupture in those who passed the RTP testing compared to those who did not (p = 0.42). There was a strong positive correlation between a high rate of patients passing the ACL RTP testing in studies and ACL graft rupture rate in those who failed (0.80).

Passing RTP testing following ACLR results in a lower rate of ACL graft rupture, but not contralateral ACL injury. Further evaluation and standardization of RTP testing is necessary in order to increase reliability in identifying patients at risk for re-injury after ACLR.

Level of Evidence III.